Crate Digging - Optimo Halloween playlist

Twitch and Wilkes’ playlist of horror, including Sunn O))), Current 93 and The Birthday Party

At last, the Optimo boys come to Crate Digging just as their revered Halloween party and fancy dress armageddon Optimo (Espookio) makes its return. Time for Twitch and Wilkes’ playlist of ultimate horror …

JG Wilkes: Sunn O))) ‘Black Wedding’ (Southern Lord) is doom metal at its darkest. Crank it when the doors open, hit the dry ice and it feels like you’ve entered a pitch black haunted forest, not the Sub Club. It’s 19 minutes long though, so a little on the short side …

Espookio is one party of ours where lyrics and voice recordings play a major part in the whole affair, and goth anthem The Birthday Party ‘Release the Bats’ (4AD) has great lyrics: ‘Whoooahh! Bite! Whoooah! Bite! Release the bats! Release the bats! Don’t tell me that it doesn’t hurt/a hundred fluttering in your skirt!’ The most terrifying high frequency 303 monster of all time is Ecstasy Club ‘Jesus Loves The Acid’ (Swordfish Records). The intro uses Pope John Paul II’s message of peace in Ireland to great spooky effect. It’s peak time Espookio.

JD Twitch: I love Halloween records and have far too many of them, but Ministry ‘Everyday (Is Halloween)’ (Wax Trax!) will always be my favourite. It’s not in the least bit scary, but the sentiment in the lyrics is probably something all freaks and creatures of the night can relate to. On the other hand Current 93 ‘Christus Christus (The Shells Have Cracked)’ (Durtro) is genuinely terrifying, it makes the music from The Exorcist sound like Abba. It’s perfect for the beginning of the night and sure to drive All Hallow’s Eve lightweights off in search of garlic and crucifixes.

Halloween is as much about dumb and stupid music as it is about music for scaring people, though. As a piece of high camp disco fromage, The Manhattan Transfer ‘Twilight Zone’ (Atlantic) ticks all the right boxes.